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Emmy Rossum: 5 Things You Didn't Know About the Actress

And they might surprise you.

Emmy Rossum is no stranger to the stage or camera. The 29-year-old, who was classically trained in Opera and grew up performing the craft on New York theater stages, earned a Golden Globe nomination for her leading performance in 2004's Phantom of the Opera.

But aside from garnering global recognition for her performances in Mystic River (which she considers her "I made it" moment: "That's the kind of moment where I have to remind myself to keep breathing oxygen, because I was about to pass out numerous times simply from being in [Sean Penn, Clint Eastwood and Tim Robbins'] presence," she told Interviewly), The Day After Tomorrow and Shameless, The Hollywood Reporter looks at five facts you probably didn't know about Rossum.

Sang for Hot Dogs as a Child

As a child, while walking home from Opera practice, Rossum would score free hot dogs from a local butcher shop if she sang to the butchers. She told Interview magazine, "There is a butcher on the East Side—I would go in, with my babysitter or my mom, and they'd be like, "Oh, it's the little opera girl!" They'd go, 'Do you have a little song for us?' I would sing them a song, and they would give me a hot dog." During a visit to Conan, she gave him a preview of her hot dog-scoring childhood performances.

If She Weren't an Actress, She'd Work With Food

If she hadn't grown up to be an actress, Rossum said she would have pursued a career in the food industry. When visiting Katie Couric's talk show, she told the host that she'd "eat" if she weren't an actress and told Vanity Fair that she would have opted to be a "food critic or photographer" for her profession.

The allergic-to-gluten actress told Shape magazine, "I've always been gluten free so that helps me to not snack on things that, in theory, put on weight. Not to say that I don’t eat crème brulee on the weekend—I do! I think if you deprive your body of anything for too long, your body will crave it and be really miserable."

A California Beach Is Her Favorite Place on Earth

When asked what her favorite place on the globe is, the New York native told inquisitive fans via Vanity Fair that "the beach at sunset in Big Sur, CA" is her favorite spot.

"I want control but I don’t feel as prepared about life in general. I’m type A. I’m a Virgo, even though I don’t believe in that astrology shit," Rossum told Complex about wanting to take control in her life. "I’m most scared when I’m not in control, when I can’t predict the other person’s move, whether it’s an old boyfriend or a family member. The only things you can control are yourself, your own actions, and your decisions. And that’s insanely frustrating sometimes."

Life Motto: "Stay Focused and Have Fun"

Rossum credits her photographer single mother for her life motto. "My mom always raised me with the motto of 'stay focused & have fun,'" she told Interviewly about a theme that she lives by. "I also subscribe to 'Whatever is, is.' And I truly believe if you put positive energy out there, it does come back to you." She told Interview that her secret to not being shy is, "To just remember how you felt when you were five, when you were fearless, and thought no one would judge you."